He is not mine
by iheartrenren
Summary: Abe and Shinooka are dating. How will Mihashi react to this?
1. He is not mine

Hi! This is my first time submitting a fanfiction. Reviews are very much welcome.

And oh, I do not own Ookiku Furikabutte.

Enjoy reading!

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Chapter 1. He is not mine.

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"Takaya."

To everyone's surprise, Shinooka has actually called Abe by his first name and Abe seems to be unperturbed. The manager walks straight to the team's ace catcher, smiling while doing so.

"Here's your share of oonigiri, Takaya."

"Thanks, Chiyo."

No one in the team needs to ask. Everyone knows something special happened between the two. Behind Abe is the astounded Mihashi looking a lot more frail than usual. The ace pitcher recalled many days prior today that he has seen Abe tagging along Shinooka's group of friends. That is unusual in itself because Abe is not the kind of person who mingles with a lot of people but Mihashi brushed the thought as usual. Maybe Abe is just enjoying her company. He certainly did not think, though, that Abe and Shinooka actually like each other. Now, with Abe and Shinooka standing face to face, conversing and laughing, Mihashi feels alienated. It's true that he is friends with everyone in the team but Abe is different. Abe is - Mihashi does not exactly know but the pitcher is certain of the pain he is feeling in the left side of his chest. Mihashi decided to take time finishing his share of oonigiri as he intends to leave the dug-out last.

In his bedroom, Mihashi finally admitted to himself that what he feels for Abe is way more than a friend can feel for a fellow. He likes Abe and he was a fool to believe that just because his catcher takes extra care of him, Abe likes him, too. Abe is just kind and he deserves someone like Shinooka. He cried his heart out and promised to keep his desire for his catcher intact. Tonight will be the last night he will think of Abe. Tomorrow, he will yield unselfishly. "Abe is not mine", was Mihashi's last thought before drifting to sleep.


	2. Sudden Change

I thought I should submit this article, too.

Again, Ookiku Furikabutte is not mine. I wish I do :0

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Chapter 2. Sudden change

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The practice the next day is pretty much the same for everyone except for Abe who is bothered by how Mihashi greeted him this morning.

"Morning, Abe-kun".

"Ehh?"

"You and Shinooka look good together".

Abe felt his cheeks blushing. "Oh, that. Thanks".

_What is Mihashi thinking? - greeting me without stutter, teasing me a little about Shinooka_, Abe thought. There is no practice game today so the battery proceeded with their usual drill. However, when Mihashi pitched the ball to him, he was shocked at the speed and impact of the throw. His mitted hands actually tingled. He dismissed the first pitch as lucky since Mihashi has never pitched at a speed greater than 110 and the ball he asked for is a fastball. He threw the ball back at Mihashi and asked the pitcher for a slider going out as that would be harder to control. Surprisingly, Mihashi's pitch is faster, stronger. Abe did not know what to say. He genuinely felt good that Mihashi improved this much which might give them a chance at the Koshien Championship. But something is bothering him. Mihashi is not this good just yesterday. What if Mihashi is overdoing himself, again? Abe decided to observe the pitcher further. He asked Tajima to catch for Mihashi while pretending to relieve his calf from strain. This bothers Abe, too because in the former days, Mihashi would fidget too much when he knows Abe is in pain. Today, he acted like the strain in his calf (albeit, fake) is pretty normal and did not even ask if he is ok.

"Mihashi!" Abe heard Tajima squeal in glee.

"That throw, it's about 130", Tajima continued.

"Sorry, Tajima-kun. Did I hurt you?"

"No, not at all. You should keep pitching like that for Koshien!"

_So, he was not wrong_, Abe thought.

"Mihashi, are you following your pitch's limit at home?", Abe chided.

"I am." Not only is his pitch faster, Mihashi seems to be more confident.

"What's with you?" Abe tried not to ask but something inside him tells him everything is not ok.

"N-nothing". _There it is. The stutter_, Abe thought. _Surely, there is. _

"Takaya".

"Yes, Chiyo".

"When you're finished, can you look at this menu exercise I prepared for the team?"

"Sure." Looking at Mihashi, "Hey, don't overwork yourself. Eighty pitches that's all you throw each day. Got it?"

"Yes", Mihashi fussed.

Even then, Abe remained troubled by Mihashi's sudden change.


	3. From when it began

Here is the third installment of this story. Thank you to those who read the first two chapters. More reviews, please :)

I do not own Ookiku Furikabutte. Even Mihashi is not mine. He is Abe's 3

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Chapter 3. From when it began

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"Takaya, you're spacing out." Shinooka blurted out in a slightly annoyed tone. It is clear to her that Abe is not, even a little bit interested in the menu exercise she made. To think that it took her a lot of time researching for this task.

"Huh?" Abe did not hear what Shinooka said but instead was awoken by the hint of annoyance in his girlfriend's voice.

"Maybe, you should just look at it at home. Email me your comments so that I can have it ready by tomorrow morning."

"Ah, ok. Sorry, Chiyo, I may be a little tired." Abe is not one to get tired over baseball staffs and Shinooka knows that. Instinct tells her that something happened today that made Abe spaced out like that. On the other hand, Shinooka is glad that Abe is now calling her by her first name. She was one to call Abe 'Takaya' first but the catcher is gentleman enough to reciprocate her initiative. They just started dating two days ago. From the start, when Shinooka is classmate with Abe in their elementary years, Shinooka has had this crush on Abe. Abe is not really personable but somehow she finds his aloofness cute. When she became manager of the baseball club, she did not intend to reveal her feelings to Abe because she thought this will be awkward for the team. However, just a month ago, the very observant Tajima asked her casually if she likes Abe, right in front of the whole team. Before she knew it, her face was all red which (without words necessary) is an admission in itself. Shinooka believes Abe has been too kind to save her face from the crowd when Abe heedlessly answered Tajima's next question.

"So, Abe, do you like Shinooka, too?"

"What is there to not like about her?" Everyone in the team (except for one, maybe) clapped their hands at the sudden confession.

Since then, Abe tagged along her group of friends thrice or so but as the team is busy preparing for the next tournament, these going out sessions are several days in between. _I don't know what happened today but I'll ask Takaya when I think he is ready to tell me what (or who) has been occupying his mind._ With this, Shinooka proceed to talk to Hanai about a possible practice match.

Out of slight guilt, Abe asked Shinooka to go get some snack with him and then brought her home. On his way to his house, he remembered how their relationship started. This sudden thinking gets Mihashi off his mind for a bit. The catcher can swear he could kill the pitcher for running in his mind beginning this morning. When Tajima asked him if he likes Shinooka too, he answered as honestly as he can. What came out from his mouth turned out to be a reasonable confession. What is there not to like about the manager? She clearly likes baseball and Abe is all for someone who shares his passion. She is very hardworking and dependable, too. He only have these thoughts in mind but when he considered Shinooka's feelings, it seems not bad to go out with a girl whom he cannot find fault with. He tried to be friendlier with Shinooka and soon enough they are getting along really well. What he finds in Shinooka that Mihashi lacks is proper communication. He could tell several instances when one of them will begin to talk about something and they would end up talking about something else. The spontaneity in their conversion is a relief from the tension he is getting when he is with Mihashi. The pitcher is all too nervous to convey what he thinks and feels. Abe tried hard to convince Mihashi that it is ok to tell him his thoughts and feelings but before Mihashi could blurt out a stutter, Abe is already at the limit of his patience. Partly, this is because he really wants them to be cozy with each other, just like how Mihashi is with Tajima. Even Izumi can read Mihashi's strange reaction. _Why can't I read his mind and have a normal talk with him? I'm his catcher, damn it!_

Abe was already in the front of his house when he realized that his thoughts are back to Mihashi.


	4. The New Me

Hello, again. Thank you for the encouragements, I was able to write this one. I'd like to hear from you more.

I do not own Ookiku Furikabutte or any of its characters.

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Chapter 4. The New Me

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Two weeks passed since Mihashi learned of Abe and Shinooka's relationship. To get over his feelings for the team's catcher, he busied himself with whatever that would take his mind off Abe. These activities mostly include baseball as it is the only way he could focus his mind entirely. A week ago, he asked Tajima to accompany him to a batting center after practice because his pitching limit does not give him enough distraction. After learning of the activity, Hanai joined them, too. Somehow, Mihashi can feel the tension between the fourth and fifth batters but does not intend to know the reason behind it. Now, while Tajima is hitting balls after balls at the pen beside him, Mihashi prepares himself for the next set of balls he will hit. It is his first time batting at the 140kmh pen. The first ball was a miss. Focusing his mind at the machine in front of him, he hit the second ball but it popped. _Not bad. I can contact. _The third ball popped, too as well as the next three balls. Finally, he hit the seventh ball. _Oooohh, that was nice. _Mihashi was elated with the hit he just made. _Now, if I can only hit one more. _And he did, ball after another. Too bad, there are no more balls to hit and he is done with his last token. He was much in the zone that he only noticed Tajima and Hanai watching him from behind with adoring eyes.

"The way you're hitting those balls, you could easily replace me as clean-up, Mihashi." For a moment, Tajima felt a little threatened.

"Come on, you were just hitting at 130 like a piece of cake." Hanai, despite his complementing Tajima will not let the clean-up beat him at this.

"I may just be lucky, today." Mihashi is being generous, of course. He knows that with a tad of practice, he will master 140 and proceed to 150 in a sufficient amount time. One thing good about this timid pitcher is that his dictionary does not have "give-up" in it. Except for one thing, that is. _That thing_ he could easily give-up, especially if it will make Abe happy.

It is Monday and everyone in the team is excited for the practice match set by their coach. They will be playing with a C-seeded team who was part of last year's top 8. For Abe, this will be the first time he will observe Mihashi in an actual game after the drastic improvement in his pitch three weeks prior. Since then, Mihashi's pitch is steadily at 130khm but can go up if he intends to. Abe observed this one day when he asked the pitcher for a "fast" fastball out of whim. He was surprised when Mihashi relented, giving him a pitch about 136kmh in speed. At first, he was worried that the pitcher is overdoing himself but his stamina in the practice sessions was enough evidence that the pitcher has simply bested himself while maintaining that monstrous accuracy.

For Mihashi, the practice game will serve as venue of his rebirth. Shy as he is, he has learned to take pride in his efforts. Besides, a better pitcher means a higher chance at Koshien and Mihashi intends to lead his team to the championships. They believed in him when he was still doubtful of himself. Now is the time he pays them back. Aside from pitching aggressively, Mihashi plans to take part in the offensive plays.

Abe and Mihashi has been civil with one another since the catcher 's relationship with Shinooka was made known to the team. At first, Abe thought Mihashi is being jealous. Even he knew it was a laughable idea but what can explain Mihashi's sudden professional act towards him? The pitcher is still as nervous as hell but his action towards the catcher seems a little controlled as if he was weighing what his next step would be. This made the catcher even more intrigued by the pitcher. _Pitchers can really be a sore pain in the ass._

Back to the game, Nishiura will play defense in the first inning. Tajima was assigned to help Mihashi warm up in the bullpen while Abe is laying the final game plan with the rest of the team. When the umpire called the game to start, Abe immediately gave Mihashi a sign: fastball right at the middle of the strike zone. He wants to go all out at the start of the play to deliver his message clearly. _We are not as weak as you think we are. _Even then, Abe was bowled over by the impact delivered by the ball Mihashi just threw straight to his mitt. Looking at his teammates, he realized they were pleasantly surprised, too. This pitch was Mihashi's fastest yet. He asked for the same ball and he was not let down. In no time, Mihashi struck out the opposing team. On their turn at the offensive, they managed to get two runs, thanks to Tajima and Hanai. The pitcher of the opposite team is tough and apart from the two, no one made contact with the ball. Nishiura's defense in the second inning immediately ended with three struck out players, including their clean up who was so intrigued of Mihashi; he kept on staring at the pitcher the whole game. Mihashi's turn at bat came in the third inning. Abe began putting on his protective gear when a clank of a metal hitting a ball was heard in his corner at the dugout. He saw the ball hit the score board with Mihashi running towards home. Everything was a blur after that as Abe tried to catch for his pitcher up until the last inning. Mihashi scored two more runs along the way. Had it been an official game, the game could have been a called game.

At the dugout, Mihashi was surrounded by the team, players taking turns in hugging the ace pitcher. Abe is gawking at the background waiting until the excitement of the win wears off. As soon as he saw an opening, he went straight to Mihashi. Heart pounding hard on his chest, he hug Mihashi so tight, the pitcher was almost out of air. When he realized this, he loosened his embrace. "That was amazing, Mihashi!" is all Abe could say. High in spirit, Mihashi hugged Abe back. In his mind he is saying, _how do you like the new me?_


	5. Thoughts

Sorry, classes started and I was busy finalizing my study load. I'll try my best to upload the next chapter so please keep on reading. Thank you for the follows and favorites. They mean a lot.

Again, Ookiku Furikabutte is not mine. I'm a plain fan helplessly wishing for Mihashi and Abe to get together.

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Chapter 5: Thoughts

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Mihashi's POV

_I never intended to impress Abe. I just thought that if it is through baseball that I fell for him, then it is through baseball that I will move on. Baseball has been and will always be my first love after all. "How do you like the new me?" Where did the thought come from anyway? Am I subconsciously trying to win Abe through my efforts? Do I want him to regret choosing Shinooka over me? At any rate, he didn't have to choose between me and the manager. I mean Abe is a guy and so am I. Didn't I say I will let go of him already? Why am I being so flustered all of a sudden? Of course, I know why. "That was amazing, Mihashi!" It was all he needed to say and my resolve melted at once. And why did he hug me too tight? Did that hug mean anything? Did I successfully get his attention? I really shouldn't be overly thinking about these things, right? He has a girlfriend, period. Or is it?_

Abe's POV

_Damn that pitcher! When I realized Mihashi's talent, all I wanted was his naiveté to accept all my calls without question. I was still nursing my disappointment with Haruna and Mihashi's being so accurate and persistent is above ideal. Then, we become close enough that I began to genuinely care for him. It frustrated me when Tajima and Izumi understand his quirks better than I do and I desperately wanted to communicate my feelings towards him. I wanted to be his friend. When I got injured and he was paired with Tajima, I was made to realize the degree to which I was unfair with Mihashi. As a battery, we are partners and by forcing him to agree not to shake any signs from me, I denied him of his right in this partnership. It was through Tajima that he experienced his first real "veto". And although, we made things clear that from then on, we will decide together on every pitch he throws, I still find him reluctant to do so. There is that unhealthy fear he has reserved especially for me. No matter how I tried to bridge the gap between me and him, there is always that hesitancy on his part. Or it is in mine? I cannot count how many times I blew my anger on him. My short temper isn't helping any. Since I started dating Shinooka, Mihashi has been particularly distant and composed. It pisses me off that he stopped relying on me. I noticed how he would rely on Tajima during warm up. He's even cozier with Hanai, too. I feel like he was pitching to me because we wear the number 1 and 2 uniforms, that's all. They said that when you're in love, she is always on your mind. Your heart beats faster than normal when she's near. But whenever I'm near Shinooka, I feel calm. That's why I think I like her. It's a different story when I'm with Mihashi. I feel anxious, excited and happy. Damn that pitcher! If I knew he would affect me this much, I wouldn't have bothered with him. Or would I?_

Shinooka's POV

_It has happened a lot of times now, Abe spacing out. I remember it began since Mihashi started throwing fast pitches. I once told him that if he's worried Mihashi is exerting too much effort, he should talk to him to make sure he doesn't. He said it was not necessary. Being the manager, I take pride in the closeness of our team members. Of course, it is expected of Abe to be extra close to Mihashi so when he seems distracted the first two days, it did not concern me a bit. But when he continued to do so, I began to think things I don't want to entertain at all. I trust Abe will not cheat on me so infidelity is not the issue. Besides, aside from school, Abe has his hands full on baseball. He has no time to look for another. Does he not like me anymore? I guess not since his treatment towards me did not change a bit. He's sweet in a different way. So is it Mihashi you're thinking? I don't want to ask because I might not want to hear his answer. Is it normal for a guy to feel that way towards a friend who is also a guy? _


	6. Be honest

Hi! I really wanted to update this story as fast as possible but my graduate courses are getting in the way. Hahaha!

So, I plan to write at least two chapters more to cap this story. The last chapter I'm sure will be snippets of the final pairing'(s) life together.

Oh yeah, there's a hint of TajimaXHanai pairing here so, warning! I love this pair, too.

And if you are a fan of OonoderaXTakano pair, please read my other story "Mark me". It's M rated but I swear there were very few vulgar words used because I'm not good at writing very "hot" scenes. Hahaha!

As usual, thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows. I would have given up on this story if not for you guys.

Again and again, I do not own Ookiku Furikabutte.

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Chapter 6: Be honest.

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It has been decided that the team's performance in the first game of the summer tournament, particularly those of Mihashi, Tajima and Hanai is worth celebrating. Coach Momoe and Shiga Sensei volunteered to treat the team to a sushi bar near the baseball field where they snatched their first victory over a B-seeded team. It seems that Hanai really has the knack of drawing only strong teams for their first match. Still the team managed to win, 8-1.

The team occupied three tables and Abe felt lucky to be seated in the same table as Mihashi. However, Shinooka, being his girlfriend was seated beside him. His relationship with the manager is not very healthy at this moment considering the confrontation that happened between them three days prior. Shinooka asked Abe directly what has been bothering him since they dated. While it is true that Shinooka finds Abe enjoyable, the days after their relationship has been made known to the team were difficult. Many times the manager will find Abe lightheaded; his mind seems to be working on something that was not in the present. At first, Abe was undecided if he is going to admit what bothers him. But then, he was so confused that after a little more prodding from Shinooka, Abe blurted out that Mihashi and his peculiar behavior are what bother him this past month. Shinooka was not a bit shocked. Somehow, she has an idea what is going on but chose to remain hopeful that this was not the case. Bravely, she asked further if Abe thought it normal to be thinking that much of the pitcher but the catcher lost his temper probably because she hit the nail directly on the head. The next day, Abe greeted her like usual, as if telling her that he does not intend to discuss the row between them. Shinooka felt a little happy that though Abe is having confused thoughts about Mihashi, the catcher appears to have decided not to quit on their relationship.

While everyone is enjoying their free meal, Coach Momoe stood up and congratulated the team once more. And although she knew that Mihashi along with Tajima and Hanai are having extra batting practices, curiosity took over and she asked Mihashi point blank what made him decide to improve his offensive skills. Mihashi was taken aback and took sometime before finding his voice and replied.

"It…it was for – the team. Uh…huh, Koshien." The ace pitcher is not lying at all but he is not being completely honest. Had it not been for Abe dating Shinooka, he would be contented with the way things are. But he needed distraction and he found it helpful to focus his frustration, his emptiness, and his jealousy to baseball.

"How heroic!" Tajima, of course is being playful. He is proud to admit that in the team, he is closest to Mihashi. It may be because of his natural gift for observing people but he knew Mihashi's quirks and can easily empathize with him. He knew that Abe has something to do with Mihashi's sudden change. He saw Mihashi's desperate attempts to separate from Abe. He is conscious of the wall the pitcher decided to put against the catcher. Mihashi likes Abe and when their catcher started dating the manager, he was hurt real bad but found it unnatural to be upset. Transferring his gaze on their tall captain, he knew the feeling so it was easy to understand. With all his might, Mihashi is trying to fight his growing feelings for Abe. Tajima however is not like that. He also tried to stifle his feelings for the captain but decided otherwise when he saw the effort Mihashi has been putting in. Finally, deciding to be honest, he's been dropping clues here and there but he never thought their captain can be so dense. He wishes for Mihashi to be honest as well but with his personality, it is nearly impossible.

"Well, we thank you for thinking of the team". Coach Momoe is genuinely glad but somehow, Mihashi's answer did not satisfy her curiosity. Instinct says there is more to it.

All this time, Abe was carefully watching Mihashi. The pitcher only looked at him once when he passed on the menu and then completely ignored him. He asked him some questions and received very curt replies. When he told him, however, that his game was exceptionally great, he did not miss the faint blush that crept over Mihashi's cheeks. He found the blush really cute. _And he eats a lot. He also seems to enjoy unagi. _Abe purposely left the unagi sushi on the serving plate and was glad that Mihashi got it before anyone else.

When they finished eating, Shinooka leaned over Abe's ear and gently whispered so that no one would hear. "Takaya, can we, uhm, talk later? In a café, perhaps?"

"If this is about our confrontation, no. It's done and over with." Abe felt his temper slipping away. Lately, he is realizing how coward he really is for running away from his troubles.

"We need to talk and you know it. This will not take long, so please."

"Alright but if things go bad, I might walk out on you, again."

_Of course, you will._ But Shinooka intends to keep the talk really short. Seeing Abe watch Mihashi closely while they eat was the last draw for Shinooka. She thought it's nice of Abe to choose her despite the obvious longing her boyfriend has for the pitcher. However, looking at the way Abe tried his hardest to catch Mihashi's attention, she finally understood that by continuing this relationship, all three of them will be miserable.

The team went home in groups but Abe and Shinooka took off together. They chose a corner table in a nearby café and ordered coffee. Shinooka thought it would be easy; she even practiced her speech the night they had a row when she thought Abe will be breaking up with her. But sitting in front of Abe, her first and long-standing love, she is nearly in tears despite not uttering yet the words she has to say. She cleared her throat and wished she ordered water instead.

"Takaya, we may be only dating a little over a month now but I told you before that you have always been my crush and later on love. I silently observed you in class and then in the team so I see through you more than you think I do. In truth, I realized earlier on that your mind has been busy thinking of Mihashi. You love him, don't you?"

"…"

"I'll appreciate it if you're honest with me. It hurts when your boyfriend loves someone else, you know. It hurts more when he's trying to hide it when it's obvious." Shinooka gave a small laugh but an honest pain can be seen in her eyes.

"I…I'm sorry."

"That's enough answer for me, I guess. I'll take the train from here." Shinooka rose from her seat and grab her bag. She certainly does not want to know how much Abe is feeling for Mihashi. Watching him this past month showed her a lot of Abe's conflicting feelings. Hearing it from Abe will fully break her heart.

"Chiyo, wait! I really like you. You should know at least. I haven't realized my feelings for Mihashi until he started avoiding me. And even then, I choose to stay with you."

"The fact that you love him does not help, Abe. You choose me but you love him. I'm selfish in a way. If you will be mine, I want the whole you to be mine. I can't let someone else have your heart." Shinooka tried to fight back the tears but when it started to fall, every anguish went along with it and the tears won't stop. "I wished we just stayed as friends when I resolved not to tell you how I felt. It will be easier that way. Even if you realize that you love Mihashi, my heart will not be broken this much because you were not mine."

"…"

"I'll be going now, Abe. Take time to think and be honest. I'm not sure how Mihashi felt but take risk. Think not about my feelings. I'll get over you, somehow. Bye."

"Hmmm. Thank you, Chiyo."

"And stop using my name. It will help me move on." Shinooka gave a sad smile and went her way.


End file.
